Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Tagged and Bagged

I don't usually give in to the phenomenon of "I've tagged you in this note, now you have to follow the instructions and tag others..." but there are exceptions to almost every rule:

25 Random things about me.

I won’t call them facts, because facts don’t exist. I learned that recently from a discussion about post-modernism. Facts are a social construct, created to ease our anxiety about being powerless in the face of the random chaos in which we exist. Facts are only how we choose to understand and make sense of life. Facts are the enemy of truth. That said, let’s proceed:

1. I have a secret dream to one day star in a production of “The Man of La Mancha” as Don Quixote. If I don’t get the lead role, I’d gladly play Sancho Panza if I can manage the falsetto needed.

2. I’ve discovered that I enjoy having someone else wash my hair. Apparently, the Wal-Mart haircut places include a shampoo in the cost of a cut… so instead of paying $7.00 for a cheap haircut, I’ll pay $12.95 for a cut and a wash. Sometimes you have to ask them for the shampoo, but since you’re ALREADY paying for it, make sure you get it. I now factor the amount of my tip on how long/vigorously/luxuriously my scalp is massaged.

3. I love being a dad. This isn’t a secret (I hope), but it is well worth mentioning. When we were first married, Amelia was worried about my fatherhood ambitions when I was reluctant to hold other people’s babies or dote on small children. As it turns out, I am the best daddy in the world (just ask my kids or my wife!). It makes a huge difference when it is your kid.

4. Fatherhood has given me some experiences I never thought I’d have. For instance, I have lost 13 games in a row of Candyland. I’ve seen the movie Cars over two hundred times (okay, props to my buddy, Timothy Dodd for the last 150). For almost a year, I came home everyday to hear my son greet me : “Mr. Incredible! You’re home!” To which I would reply “Thanks, Dash.” I have developed a more than passable method for fixing hair in pigtails. Wow, I could go on and on… but I’ve got 21 more things to come up with…

5. Until I got my iPod touch recently, I have never had much of a desire to listen to my own personal music (ala walkman, personal cd player). Now, I’m really enjoying throwing on my headphones and zoning out.

6. The only interest I have in any professional sport is for social reasons. I secretly laugh at people who know the stats for their favorite teams and players and who are obsessed with keeping track of the same. The fact that I am intimately familiar with the 5,000+ Star Wars:CCG cards I own is in no way related to my friend’s obsession(s) with sports.

7. At the recommendation of my friend, Matt Loomis, I purchased a Mac two years ago and I haven’t regretted it for a moment.

8. I usually wear a pair of shoes until they are worn out. Then I buy another pair. I have a pair of black dress shoes and a pair of sneakers. Any other shoes I own are the worn out ones that I just haven’t thrown out yet.

9. I prefer regular Oreos ™ to Double-Stuft.

10. I went to the Texas State competition in Cross Examination Debate my Senior Year of high school. My partner, Hayley Hollis, and I lost the first two rounds and spent the rest of the day goofing off.

11. I spent from 2nd grade to 7th grade living in Europe. My father was in the Air Force and we lived in Athens, Greece, Kaiserslautern, Germany, and Kleine Brogel, Belgium. I also attended school at an international school, AFCENT, in Holland.

12. I have never broken any of my own bones.

13. I fell in love on my honeymoon…with Aussie Cheese Fries from Outback Steakhouse. I’d never eaten there before and Amelia assured me it would be awesome. It was. It is.

14. I used to prefer Peanut M&Ms™ to regular ones. Now, I prefer the original M&Ms™.

15. I played Everquest, a MMORPG, for almost 5 years. My highest level character was a 73 Gnome Necromancer named Abihu. I played primarily on the Prexus server. I was not addicted. I quit on my own, with no intervention required.

16. I have worked consecutive jobs, without being unemployed, since I was 16 years old, with the exception of an emotionally devastating layoff from my last ministerial position, which resulted in a 3 month stretch where I was (in my semi-official opinion) almost clinically depressed.

17. I have recently taken up the hobby of photography, which I absolutely LOVE. With the exception of an elective class in my undergraduate days, I am pretty much self-taught (with some able coaching and inspiration from some photography friends). Check out my website: http://emerysmemories.googlepages.com or look at my albums on Facebook.

18. Until I came to college, I didn’t have any really close friends (with one or two exceptions)

19. I climbed (but did not summit) Mt. Whitney in Colorado.

20. I part my hair the way I do because I think that if I part it the way it naturally falls, I look too much like my dad. (He’s not bad looking, but I just wanted to be different)

21. The simplest thing that gives me the most joy is opening the cabinet at home and pulling out a tumbler from Eskimo Joes. They are the perfect size to hold the quantity of beverage (plus ice) that I enjoy.

22. I love jokes. I pride myself on being able to recognize 90% of the jokes that I hear. I am a bit of a joke snob and almost can’t stop myself from ruining a joke that I know when someone else is telling it. I really have to hold back. On the other hand, when I hear a joke that I’ve never heard before, I get very excited. For my all time favorite joke, check out: http://jde95f.googlepages.com/hahahahahahhahhaaha!

23. In my high school senior yearbook, I was voted “Most Flirtatious”

24. I am aware that I talk too fast, sometime slurring my words. I know that I am a know-it-all. However, I like to think that I am also kind with my words, generous with my praise and generally positive in my disposition. In my mind, being really nice somehow balances out being an arrogant snob.

25. I make a wonderful French Toast meal.

Ok, that is enough for now. Thanks to Jeremy for tagging me and giving me an excellent reason to avoid writing casenotes. I won’t perpetuate this procrastination tool of Satan by tagging anyone else, but my intense desire for validation demands that I make this request: If you’ve read this and enjoyed learning anything new about me, please comment. ☺ Have a great day!

2 comments:

I thought your 25 things were some of the best I've read. You have a talent for photography and also writing. Look forward to seeing you all tomorrow, just wish it were under happier conditions. Love, Grammy

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About Me

Son of David Howard and Deborah Denise Emery.Third of five childrenMilitary BratHusband to Amelia (Heard) EmeryYouth MinisterFather to Mary Hannah, Ethan, and Eleanor EmeryParent to two Type I diabetic childrenPhotography enthusiastMarriage and Family Therapist